Three large West Midlands development sites have been put forward for designation as the region’s flagship inward investment locations.
The sites are: a 133ha (330 acre) site at Peddimore, Minworth, Birmingham (mainly owned by Birmingham City Council and Severn Trent); a 44ha (108 acre) Wobaston Road site at Junction 2 (mainly owned by Severn Trent) and the 47ha (116 acre) Hilton Cross site at Junction 1 ( mainly owned by Crest Nicholson). These last two sites both front the M54 motorway north of Wolverhampton.
The recommendations are contained in a report to the West Midlands Regional Forum on major inward investment sites. The study was set in motion last year following Siemens’ decision to build a new factory in Tyne & Wear because it could not find any suitable sites in the West Midlands.
The recommendations will be discussed by the forum on 5 July. The Peddimore site is set to make the final shortlist but a choice will have to be made between the two Wolverhampton sites.
The Peddimore and Hilton Cross sites are both located in the green belt. P&O owns a 56ha (140 acre) site across the A38 from the Peddimore site, but this land has not been recommended for futher consideration.
Two weeks ago, West Midlands Development Agency submitted an outline planning application to Birmingham City Council for a 185,800 sq m (2m sq ft) electronics factory on the Peddimore site. No operator has been named, but Philips Electronics is known to have looked at the site, among others in the UK and overseas.
Philips is being advised by King Sturge. Coopers & Lybrand advised the forum on the sites.
EGi News 25/06/96
